Shuttle-feeling mechanism for looms



March 31. 1925. I 1,531,691

- G. CROMPTON, JR

SHUTTLE FEELTNG MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Aug! 1922 "I72 d eni'o r: 5:019: fro/77, 750, Jfi

Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

marsh stares rarest erases.

GEORGE OROM?TON, 31%., OF WORCE3TER, IiIAS-SACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT G.

PRATT, F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHUTTLE-FEELING ianoi-riinrsat non Looms.

Application filed August 4, 1922. seii 1'no. 579,679.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon CnoMr'roN, Jr, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVorcester, in the county of lVor-cester and commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shuttle-Feeling Mechanism for Looms, of which the following, together with the ac companying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to shuttle feeling mechanism for looms, particularly of the narrow ware type, in which a plurality of spaced shuttles are adapted to be driven back and forth in unison with respect to a plurality of spaced groups of warp threads, in order to simultaneously weave a number of separate strips of narrow fabric, such for example, as tape or 'ibbon.

In my copending application, Serial No. 567,719, filed June 12, 1922, there is shown and described an improved shuttle changing mechanism for looms of the above described type, by means of which the shuttles may be automatically changed without interrupting the operation of the loom, when the shuttles have made a predetermined number of picks, the shuttle change being brought aiout by a transferring mechanism adapted to eject a spent shuttle from its carrier and" 0 insert a fresh shuttle in place of the same.

The object of the present invention is to pr vide a shuttle feeling mechanism adapted to prevent the operation of the transferring mechanism in the event that the shuttles are not properly operating or boxed, thereby effectively preventing smashing of the loom mechanism. The above, and other advantageous features of my invention will hereinafter more fully appear, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan view of a portion of a loonr provided with my improved shuttle feelirn mechanism, the breast beam being broken away to show the parts more clearly. Figure 2 is a view in end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1, a portion of the shuttle changing mechanism being shown to enable the present invention to be clearly understood.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view along the line 38 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. l is a perspective view showing the arrangement of my improved mechanism,

portions thereof being shown as removed from the loom in order .to illustrate the arrangement more clearly.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, a por tion of the lay of a loom is indicated atl, and has mounted thereon a plurality of shut tle carriers 2 that are adapted to be moved bee; and forth in unison on race blocks 3 by means of the usual toothed rack engaging the pinions adapted to drive the carriers Transferrers 4: are provided for alternate shuttle carriers 2, and each is adapted, by a downward movement, to transfer a fresh shuttle 5 from a suitable holder, not shown, to a carrier 2, thereby ejecting the exhausted shuttle. I

A plunger 6 is provided for the transferrer 4 and projects from the front face of the lay 1, so that movement will be imparted thereto to operate the transferrer l, should the plunger encounter an obstruction on the forward movement of the lay 1. An operating shaft 7 is mounted at the front of the mounted thereon a U-shaped stop member 8 whioh,when in a substantially horizontal position, is in the path of-movementof the plunger 6. Any desired number of stop members 8 .may be mounted on the operating shaft 7, each adapted to cooperate with its corresponding plunger 6, as described in the above mentioned copendingapplication, Serial No, 567,719. In ordeiito illustrate the present invention as simply as possible, I have shownbut oneplunger (S, the motion of which is adapted to be transmitted to the transferrer i, but it is apparent that the turning movement of the shaft 7, can be utilized to cause any desired number of stop I members 8 to be moved into operative posiis connected to a gag 13 which is adapted to be pressed into a slot 14 provided on the periphery of a cylinder 15 by a spring 10 act- '89 loom below the breast beam, and has. 7

ing on the arm 10. The cylinder 15 forms a portion of a measuring device, the operation of which is fully shown and described in the above mentioned copending application, the operation of the measuring device being such that the gag 13 will be received in the slot 1 1 after the active shuttles of the loom have made a predetermined number of picks. As the gag 13 normally rides on the periphcry of the cylinder 15, it is apparent that when the enters the slot 14-, its downward movement will result in a turning movement of the operating shaft 7 in a clockwise direction, by reason of theconnection of the shaft 7 to the 13, through the bell crank lever. The parts described thus far form no part of the present invention, and their operation is more fully described in the above mentioned copending application. Enough of the mechanism has been shown and described however, to make it plain that the transferrer 41 is adapted to be automatically operated to change a shuttle, after the loom has made a predetermined number of picks, by the turning of the shaft 7 in a clockwise direction, and the resultant positioning of the stop member 8 into the path of movement of the plunger 6.

As previously set forth, it is the ob ect of the present invention to provide a shuttle feeling mechanism adapted to prevent the operation or" the transfer mechanism in the event that the shuttles are not properly boxed. To this end I provide shuttle feelers 16 and 17, pivotally mounted on shafts 18 and 19 respectively, at opposite ends of the lay, the end of each feeler being normally maintained in the path of movement of the endmost shuttle carriers 2 by means of springs 20 and 21 respectively, When the loom is operating with the shuttles properly boxed, the feeler 16 is turned in a counterclockwise direction each time the shuttle carriers are moved to the left, while the feeler 17 is turned in a clockwise direction each time the shuttle carriers 2 are moved to the right. In order to coordinate the movements or the feelers 16 and 17, the feeler 17 is connected by a flexible member 22 to a lever 23, pivotally mounted on a pin 24 below the feeler-lG, as best shown in Fig. 4. The lever is provided with a hooked portion 25, beyond its pivot pin 2 1, which is adapted to engage a pin 26 arojecting downwardly from the 'leeler 16, whenever movement of the :feeler 17 is imparted to the lever 23 through the flexible member 22. lVhen the hooked portion 25 engages the pin 26, it tends to turnthe shuttle feeler 16 in a counterclockwise direction, so that the shaft 18 is always turned in the same direction whenever either shuttle feeler 16 or 17 is engaged by either endmost shuttle carrier 2.

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4-, the shaft 18 extends dew wardly through the lay 1 and is ETOVilGQl at its lower end with an arm 27 which extends below a trigger 28. The trigger 28 pivotally mounted between lugs 29 carried by the lay land is provided with a downwardly extending heel portion 30. he trigger is normally maintained in a substantially horizontal position by means oil? a sprin 31, so thatvthe heel portion 30 is in the path movement of the arm 27 whenever the shaft 18 is turned in a counterclockwise direction.

As best shown in 1, a slide 82 is slidably mounted in brackets carried by an upright frame m mber C l supporting .i t l cam of the loom, not iown, and

is adapted to yield 'ly insinlicle in the direction or the trigger 28, a shoulder 82 iiting movement of the slide 32in the direction of the lay 1. The end ct theslide 32 is provided with a notch 36 which is adapted to receive the pointed end In of the triper 28, ii the latter is in its horizontal position as the lay 1 moves forward. The opposite end oi the slide 32 is provided 7 with a curvedsurttace e. which is normally in engagement with a curved surface 38 provided on an arm 39 mounted on the rock-shaft 7, so that longitudinal movement t the .slide32 to the right is adapted to turn t" e shaft 7 in a counterclockwise direction, as indicated bythe arrow in Fig. 4- described the various parts enter tion thereof is as follows: 7

During the normal operation ot the loom, and so long as the shuttles are being prop erly moved back and forth, the feelers 16 and 17 are adapted to be alternately engaged by the endmost shuttle carriers 2. and thereby cause a turning movement of the shaft 18 in a counterclockwise direction, each time the shuttles moved to the right or to the left. Each time the shaft 18 is turned by either feeler 16 or 17, the 2 arm 27 engages the heel portion 30 of the trigger 28 and moves the trigger downwardly against the action of the spring 81 into the position shown in dotted lines, Fig.

2. As the lay '1 moves forward, iollowing the depression of the trigger 28, the slide 32 is cleared by the trigger 28, and this movement is repeated on each forward beat of the lay 1, so long as the shuttles are properly moved. I

If, however, at any time during the opera tion of the loom, the shuttles should not be properly operated, the feelers 16 and 17 will not be moved to turn the shaft and consequently the trigger 28 will not bodeiressed. The trigger 28 will, therefore, en-

with the slide 32 on the next forward movement of the'lay 1, and will move it in the direction oi the arm 39. It at that moment the gag 13 is riding on the surface ngr into my invention, the operaof the cylinder 15, it is obvious that the arm 89 will occupy the dotted line position and the slide 32 will not engage it. If, on the other hand, the gag 13 has'been received in the slot 14, and has thereby turned the shaft 7 to bring the stop member 8 into the path of movement of the plunger 6, as shown in Fig. 4:, then the surface 38 of the arm 39 will be engaged by the surface 37 of the slide 32 and the shaft 7 will be turned in a counterclockwise direction. This turning of the shaft 7 moves the stop member 8 downwardly out of the path of movement of the plunger 6, thereby preventing operation of the t-ransferrer t, as the lay completes its forward movement. It will be noted tiat the trigger 28 is adapted to engage the slide member 32 before the plunger 6 can engage the stop member 8, so there is ample time for the shaft 7 to be turned by the slide 32 to move the stop member 8 downwardly into its inoperative position.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that by my invention I have provided an improved shuttle changing mechanism for automatic weft replenishing looms of the narrow ware type which, by its action is adapted to prevent operation of the transferring mechanism in the event that the shuttles should fail to be properly operated, or bored. While I have shown the shuttle feelers operated directly by the movement of the shuttle carriers, it is obvious that the movement of the rack rod which operates the shuttle carriers might as well be de pended upon to operate the feelers. In addition, the turning movement of the shaft 7, which occurs upon failure of the shuttle feelers to be moved, might also be employed to stop the loom and to actuate some suit-a ble device for attracting the attention of the loom operative, in addition to rendering the transfer mechanism inoperative. Various other modifications in the arrangement of the parts entering into my invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and I desire that only such limitations be imposed thereon as may come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim, 7

1. In a loom employing a plurality of simultaneously driven carriers containing separate shuttles, means for automatically replenishing the shuttles in said carriers, and means dependent upon the position of said carriers for controlling the function ing of the replenishing means.

2. In a loom employing a plurality of simultaneously driven carriers containing separate shuttles, means for automatically replenishing the shuttles in said carriers, and means for preventing the functioning of said replenishing means upon the failure of said carriers to bedriven to a position proper for such replenishment.-

3. In a shuttle feeling mechanism for looms, a plurality of simultaneously driven shuttles and a shuttle transferring mechanism, of means dependent upon the position of said shuttles for controlling the operation of said transferring mechanism.

l. In a shuttle feeling mechanism for. looms, a plurality of simultaneously driven shuttles going between race blocks and a shuttle transferring mechanism, of feeler members actuated by the entering of said shuttles into their race blocks adapted to prevent the operation of said shuttle transferring mechanism upon failure of said shuttles to completely enter said blocks.

Dated this 29th day ofJuly, 1922.

GEORGE CROMPTON, JR. 

